Many of you might be thinking about applying to an early decision program at a local university or somewhere out of state. However, before you do so, you should understand the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. Personally, I applied to an Early Decision Program without knowing all the consequences and it hurt me in the long run so I am here to inform you about this program.
First, the benefits. Obviously you are put in a different pool of people when you apply early decision. If you meet the criteria, you are put into a smaller pool of people with similar stats as you. Applying Early Decision will also give you an opportunity to interview at the school because anyone who meets the criteria gets an interview. Not only can you put your full attention towards this interview but you it is also good practice for the future. Additionally, you get a response much faster as the medical school has to give an answer by October 15th. If you do get accepted, you save a ton of money on applications and have your future set basically. It is really calming when you know that you've already been accepted and don't have to fill out any more applications or practice for anymore interviews.
Now, the drawbacks. A lot of people have found out about early decision programs so getting in is a lot harder than it used to be. For example, before, the early decision program had 30 seats and 35 people apply so you had an extremely good chance of getting in. Now, since a lot of people have found out about early decision programs, you have 50+ people competing for those 30 seats so it makes it a lot more competitive. Moreover, if you do get waitlisted on October 15th, you have very few days to apply to other schools and are at a disadvantage because you are applying late in the cycle. By then, a lot of people have already had their interviews and the medical schools are getting extremely picky to who they are giving their interviews too. Furthermore, you might not get an answer from this school (because most just choose to waitlist rather than reject) until May/June so waiting for an answer for so long is really annoying. Getting waitlisted from your early decision school is an extremely stressful situation.
At the end, applying to an Early Decision Program is a very risky move that can pay off big time. Not only will you save money and time, you will also live a stress free life for the rest of the year. However, if you do apply Early Decision and don't get accepted, never give up hope! Although it might be stressful applying to other schools, there are still many more opportunities and chances to get accepted. Despite the fact that you are at a disadvantage when applying to other schools, it is not impossible and many people still get in!
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